


So Many Words

by TooManyGlowStix



Category: Rooster Teeth/Achievement Hunter/Funhaus RPF
Genre: Fake AH Crew, Fluff, Hybrids, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-12-10
Updated: 2015-12-31
Packaged: 2018-05-06 01:44:11
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 5,525
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5398145
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TooManyGlowStix/pseuds/TooManyGlowStix
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>My friend and I are doing a thing where we send each other words to inspire stories, I shall be posting all my MAVIN ones here.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Sock

**Author's Note:**

> Word - Sock

At sixty three years old there were many thinks that Gavin free held close to his heart. At the top of that list was his husband, and just below him was a blue and black stripped sock that he kept locked up in his memory box. The sock was one that had been long too small for him but cherished for as long as he could remember. When he was ten his father noticed that the pair didn't quite cover his feet all the way and demanded he get rid of them.  
They had been a gift from his mother for his sixth birthday, just before she drove her car into a lake, they were the last things that she ever gave him and they held a place in his last memories of her. Even at a young age Gavin knew that those kids of things were special, so he knew he couldn't just discard them like any regular socks. He stopped wearing the socks but still kept them with him in his school bag. 

Over time they became a part of his life, charms that he kept with them, and he never thought about not having them with him. He carried them together with him into adult hood, and across the ocean to America. He kept them both in his pocket, alternating sides with days, and felt naked without them.  
The most important thing they ever did for him happened when he was twenty three and lonely. He went to the Laundromat to wash some things, including his socks, but when he got back home and started to sort through them one was missing. Or course he panicked and immediately went back to the Laundromat to search for it. When he got there someone else was already using the dryer he had used, clothes were spinning inside it and he bit his lip. It had to be there. Since no one was around he took it upon himself to open the dryer and pull out the still damp clothes that didn't belong to him. He threw them onto the floor and started sorting through them piece by piece. After ten minutes of searching he finally found one sock, stuck to the front of a large blue shirt, but the other was still MIA.

When he found the socks mate he started putting the clothes back in the dryer but, before he could get two handfuls inside, the door to the Laundromat opened. He looked up to see a short ginger haired man frowning at him. He raised his hand and opened his mouth to explain what had happened but before he could the man punched Gavin in the face and accused him of stealing his clothes. When the man finally calmed down enough to let Gavin explain himself he apologized, and explained that he has only been having a bad day, Gavin told him it was alright but the man Insisted on buying Gavin a coffee to apologize. That's how Gavin met his husband, Michael Jones. 

When they were married Gavin gave one sock to Michael as a gift, the Jersey man laughed at the gift but knew and respected how much it meant to Gavin, the other he carried with him until his Fortieth birthday. Michael made him a small wooden box with his name engraved on the top and different animations along the sides to represent his life. He told Gavin it was a memory box, he joked because the brit was so forgetful, and Gavin loved it instantly.His sock was the first thing to go into it, followed by wedding photos, small knick knacks, and as many other things as he could put into it. Gavin would've put his whole life in the box if he could, he loved it all and never wanted to forget any of it, and it soon over flowed into two boxes, then three, and finally Michael cut him off at five claiming there was no room left under the bed. 

When Michael turned fifty Gavin decided that he should have a memory box too, but he lacked the wood working skills that his husband seemed to be born with, so he bought a small wooden box from a store in town and decorated it with stickers and photos. Michael laughed and called the box ugly, but he refused to let Gavin take it away and buy him another. He didn't collect near as much as Gavin did through their years, the box was never completely full, but the first thing to go into his box was the match to Gavin's sock. 

At seventy one when Gavin Free was on his death bed his husband clung to his hand as they shuffled through the memory boxes. Tears streaked every photo they pulled out and they spent more time looking at each other than the items. When they finally got to the bottom of the original box, to the sock, Michael let out a coarse type of laugh at how much something so small meant to Gavin. His laugh ended when his husband's didn't start, and he knew he was gone before he looked. 

Michael slipped the sock into the casket beside his husband and held his own up to his face. To keep them together, until they meet again.


	2. Smoke

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Word- smoke
> 
> Why do I make myself sad?

Gavin free was a smoker, his record was three packs a day, but his boyfriend did not approve. Michael kept telling him that cigarets would kill him, and he would always joke that Michael could protect him from anything, even the grim reaper. The Jersey boy brushed it off and rolled his eyes but some part of Gavin really did believe that as long as Michael was around he was invincible. that's part of the reason it was so easy for him to say yes when he was asked to join the most feared gang in Las Santos. Michael had all but been born into gang life, it was new for Gavin but he knew that Michael would take care of him.

Five years later Gavin coughed and gagged in a room on fire. The smoke filled his throat and burned his lungs. It wasn't his first time being kidnapped, or even his second, it was his third and hopefully last. The gang had been on a simple robbery mission, he was guarding the doors from the rooftop of a nearby building when someone grabbed him from behind. When he woke up one of his eyes was swollen shut and his head was throbbing. He was tied to a wooden chair with itchy rope and he smelled like salt. There were men standing all around him, he felt like an animal in a cage, and none of them looked very friendly. They took turns beating him for information but he refused to tell anything, he knew they were as good as dead, his crew would come for him and they would pay with their lives. The Fake AH crew was nothing to fuck with, no one who attack one of them lived to tell the tale. 

He had been reminding his captors of that when the boss smiled. He said he knew all about the Fake AH crew and how Gavin was their slut boy, passed around from man to man, and that they would try to get him back. Then he said that his intention wasn't really for information, that would've just been a bonus, his real plan was to tear the crew apart by killing one of its members; namely Gavin. He hadn't panicked before that, but he'd never been in a position he thought they'd actually kill him before his boys found him, because he'd never been in a position where his captors wanted anything other than information from him. 

They left him there for a few hours after that, he tried to undo the ropes tying him down but only succeed in tiring himself out and burning his arms. He looked longingly to the window in the corner and wondered where he was, and how far it was from his crew. He could see grass which meant he was in a basement somewhere, how cliche, and the light outside told him it was noon maybe? He'd never been good at telling time by the sky, that was Geoff's thing. He tried to make a plan, some way to get out, but the men came back down before he could.

The men started pouring something around the room, and Gavin could feel his head start spinning as he breathed in the fumes from it, Gasoline. When it was spread out through the room they went back upstairs and left him to drown in the scent. For a while everything was quiet, Gavin thought maybe his crew had come for him. He was anxiously waiting for Michael to bust down the door covered in blood, not his of course, and rescue him. They would go home and Michael would tease Gavin about how many times he's been the target of capture, but Gavin knew he would see worry in his boyfriend's eyes. He didn't notice that he fell asleep, or passed out due to the gasoline, until he woke up. The room around him was in flames, he was covered in sweat, but worse than the heat was the smoke flying into his mouth. He felt trapped, he couldn't breath, and he started panicking. As he drew in deeper, more needy, breaths his life flashed before his eyes. He saw every moment and it became hard to tell if the smoke was making his eyes water or he was crying. The heat drew in around him and he prayed to a god that definitely didn't owe him any favors. He prayed for a quick death, or to pass out before the flames hit him so he wouldn't feel it, and he prayed that Michael wouldn't do anything stupid when they found his body. 

Just as he gave up hope that he could be saved and closed his eyes to wait for death is ears picked up the sound of gunshots. He looked up towards the sound, the small window in the corner, and could see feet running past. Woozy and weak He managed to call out in hopes that it was his crew. Halfway through yelling he realized that they wouldn't be able to hear him over the gunfire, he needed to save his strength. He was dizzy and he regretted praying to pass out, he feared God may have listened. The gunfire outside started to slow down and he knew that one side was winning. It had all but stopped as he felt himself slump forward and his arm popped from its socket. His eyes closed and it was all he could do to keep breathing in shallow breaths. The sound of glass shattering filled the room and he heard Ryan's voice yelling something he couldn't quite understand. His crew entered the burning room but he couldn't make himself sit up enough to help them untie him. He heard Michael yelling too and couldn't help but be comforted by the familiar sound. 

"He Michael." He said, very aware that it could be his last words."Is it hot in here or is it just you?"

After the funeral Michael picked up Gavin's cigarets, they smelled like him and they tasted like him, he didn't care that it would kill him. He broke Gavin's record in the first week, four and a half packs a day when he was stressed, which was always. The crew tried to help him but he refused them, he wanted to be alone, he isolated himself. He died three months later, he fell asleep with a cigaret in his mouth and his apartment caught on fire, and no one was surprised.


	3. Dice

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> word three- dice

Michael shook the dice in his hand, the cubes were cool against his skin, and rolled them out. One fell on its side and showed a three, the other bounced onto the floor with a quiet click against the tiles, both he and Gavin snapped their heads to see the outcome. Six.

Gavin squeaked with excitement and pumped his fist in the air, at the same time Michael flopped back in his seat and mumbled swears. Michael did not want to go outside, it was unsafe for Gavin there, too many people against a human and hybrid relationship. Michael hated going out together when it wasn’t needed. Not because he didn’t want to really, but because he couldn’t afford to want to, there had been so many people shooting down the street because they saw a hybrid. Michael, being a human, was more safe than Gavin. It wouldn’t be so hard to go out if Gavin were a dog or cat hybrid, a simple hat would cover most animal parts, but with enormous wings sprouting from his back he was a walking target. Not that Gavin wasn't allowed out, Michael didn't try to dominate his every choice, Michael just refused to go with him when he did. Most anti-hybrid groups are non violent, they use their words and signs to protest, but a hybrid human relationship would have every gun in the town pointing at their backs.

Gavin hated being stuck inside on date night, and wanted to go out for a walk with Michael, so he begged every week for his boyfriend to let his guard down. Finally Gavin came up with a bet, a roll of the dice, let chance decide. Michael could roll the dice, if they landed on any number below five Michael could have his way and Gavin would accept it, above five and Michael and Gavin went for a walk through the park. Michael knew if he didn't take the chance while he had it Gavin would never shut up, so he left it to god to decide, bad choice. God had never had a soft spot for Michael, he should've known that. 

As they put on their shoes Michael couldn't help the dread rising in his chest, he was worried for Gavin, the bird hybrid didn't seem the least bit upset. When they stepped outside the warm wind blew in Michael's face, and Gavin laughed. 

"Michael, stop making such a sour face. It's date night."

Michael nodded, he knew, he just wanted more than anything to be inside. He knew Gavin wouldn't let him keep his hand, the bird was too affectionate for his own good, so he pulled his sleeve down in an attempt to cover their intertwined fingers. Gavin didn't seem to notice as he pulled his boyfriend along, his steps practically skips, to the park. It was warm enough that the park was full of children playing, parent's talking, and couples leaning against each other. Despite the fact that the park was an equal rights area the line between humans and hybrids was obvious. 

Michael flinched every time someone so much as stepped towards them. The fear of something happening to his boyfriend kept him on his toes. Gavin could only roll his eyes at the behavior.

"Don't worry so much love." The british man pumped shoulders with his boyfriend. "We're fine. The sin is shining, everyone here is laughing, no one cares about us."

Michael looked around and found the words to be true, no one seemed to be bothered by their presence. His shoulders lost some of their tension and he let his grip on Gavin's hand loosed slightly. Maybe it would be okay.

They spent the day out, eating ice cream and laying in the grass, and nothing happened. Everything was so perfect, Michael forgot that he was ever worried about going out, it was so nice to be in the open with his boyfriend. He let Gavin convince him to repeat the date the next week. 

It became routine. Every date night they went to the park, or to the movie theater, or to the pond near their shared apartment, and nothing back ever seemed to happen. There were a few stares or whispers occasionally, but Michael realized that his original fear was irrational, there hadn't been a hybrid related shooting in months. Until there was. 

Gavin was stretching his wings out by the pond while Michael rested in the grass. Michael opened one eye to lazily watch his boyfriend.

"Lay down here, ass hole." He ordered playfully, opening his arms and waiting. The british man laughed but nodded. He moved to get beside his boyfriend but before he could a loud bang echoed out and his eyes widened. He flocked towards Michael, who wrapped his arms around him and snapped his head around, his lower back was covered in blood. 

Years later Michael still hated the outdoors, and dice.


	4. Santa

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Word- santa
> 
> It's not REALLY mavin, but I want to incorporate this AU into another word, like a part one part two thing.

When Michael was a child he was the only one in his class that didn’t believe in Santa. His parents never told him about the jolly man in read, and when his friends did and he asked his parents they told him that it wasn’t true. Michael never got christmas presents, his family was too poor, but he didn’t really mind because he had always lived like that. But he did wish that he could believe in santa. The idea of santa seemed to make his friends happier, they were so excited for his arrival, Michael wanted some of that happiness. Of course he couldn’t force himself to believe in something that wasn’t true, and if he was bitter he would’ve revealed the lie to his classmates, but he still pretended to believe when the subject was brought up. 

Twenty years later Michael worked at a bakery in Austin Texas. It didn’t pay much but it kept the roof over his head and he got left over baked goods for free and that was enough for him. The flow of customers was usually pretty regular, he talked to the same people every week and knew many of their orders by heart. There was Geoff who came in always on a tuesday and bought enough bread to choke a horse. Ryan came on mondays and got two muffins and a box of donuts. Ray came on fridays, he always seemed anxious waiting in line and as soon as he got what he came for he was out the door, he usually got a couple of boxes of donuts and cookies. He could almost set his watch by his customers. Of course there were the occasional strangers that flocked into the shop but they either became regulars or stopped coming after a few days. He never payed too much attention to it, until some drunken idiot stumbled in on Christmas eve dressed as an elf and tried to buy seven boxes of cookies with foreign money. 

“Look man.” Michael pushed the money away for the third time. “One box is seven fifty. I don’t even know what that it worth, I’m sorry but you’re gonna have to pay with American money.”

The man furrowed his eye brows together and looked at the money in his hand. “This is bloody accurate in currency exchange!” He said then looked back to the money in his hand. “I need donuts.” he mumbled, more to himself than Michael.

Michael raised an eyebrow and asked the man what he needed with seven boxes of donuts.

“They’re for santa.” The man said as if it were obvious and Michael sighed. This drunken idiot was playing a fucking prank on him. 

“Look man, you’re gonna have to-”Michael started but the man cut him off by throwing his wallet out on the counter. 

“Look.” He said, speaking slowly and more clearly though his eyes were still swimming. “My friends and I ate all of santa’s donuts. We need to replace them tonight before he gets back, because that’s when he’ll go for them. I need these donuts, and you can have all this money.”

Michael stared at the man in disbelief. This mother fucker either really thought he was an elf or was very good at joking. His face was straight and serious and if Michael didn’t know better he almost could’ve believed his story. 

“I’m sorry sir, but I think you’re too drunk to be making purchases anyway.” He tried to push the wallet back and the man slapped his hand away. 

“What if take you back with me?” He whispered like he thought someone would over hear them. “I can sneak you into the back room and you can take as many presents as you want. I just can’t have Santa mad at me.”

Michael almost wanted to just give the man the donuts and be done with it, but he knew that if he did they would come out of his paycheck, so he didn’t. Then the man did something unexpected. he grabbed the boxes of donuts and started like he was going to put them up, Michael sighed in relief and victory, then he ran out the door with the donuts. 

Michael swore loudly and jumped the counter to chase after him. Drunken fuck wasn’t going to get far anyway. He only stopped when he saw the man throw the donuts into a bag and climb on top a a huge deer. His jaw dropped. 

The man started guiding the animal towards Michael but even as the beast got closer he found himself unable to move. The man threw out his hand and grabbed Michael, pulling him onto the animal before snapping the reigns. It lifted from the ground and Michael couldn’t help but scream a little. 

The farther they got from the ground the louder Michael screamed until eventually the stranger turned around to face him.

"Are you planning on doing that the whole way?" he asked, he didn't sound annoyed though, he was smiling. "Surely you've heard of santa's reindeer." He almost turned then decided not to. "I'm Gavin by the way. I'm one of santa's elves"

Michael couldn't believe anything that was happening, so he pretended it wasn't, he kept pinching his arm trying to wake up but all he got was a large bruise. When they landed Gavin jumped from the deer and helped Michael with him. They were standing in at least three feet of snow and while Michael was freezing Gavin didn't seem the least bit bothered. He lead Michael into a building where all eyes were on them. There were hundreds of people, elves,in outfits similar to Gavin's. The only noticeable difference was that while most of the people in the room stoop as high as the bottom of Michael's chest and were a bit large around the waist, while Gavin stood half a head higher than Michael and looked like the wind would blow him away. Gavin lead him through more doors where everything was red. Red carpet, red chairs, red painted walls, everything was red. Michael watched as he carefully unpacked to donuts from his bag, removed them from their boxes, and spread them out on a small table by the fire. Then he turned his attention to Michael and smiled. 

"Now, I promised you anything you want from the storage room, didn't I?" He asked but didn't wait for a reply as he started pulling Michael again by his arm. This time he lead Michael to a set of green double doors.

Inside the doors was a room filled to the brim with toys, cars, there was a fucking boat, Michael couldn't stand it. The elf took him further inside and stopped, then he asked for his name. 

Michael licked his lips, unsure of whether or not he should answer, but when Gavin wouldn't stop staring at him he mumbled under his breath. "Michael Jones."

That was the beginning of Michael's love of Christmas.


	5. Mirror

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Word-Mirror

Gavin turns around in the mirror, his only companion, and watches his reflection turn with him. His father is gone again, off on another trip overseas, and he has been forbidden to leave his home. Being the son of a hateful king is hard, especially for someone as social as Gavin, but he’s gotten used to it since his mother died and he was sent to live with his father in the castle. He’s become rather fond of the large full body mirror in his room. The only thing his father really gave him aside from books about war and punishment. The mirror, with its gold trimmed edges and crystal clear glass, seems to listen to Gavin when he speaks. He knows better than to actually believe it though. At seventeen he’s much too old to fall for fairytale stories. But when he’s alone with no one to talk to the mirror is his only friend, the only thing keeping him from going insane.

“Father won’t be back for a while this time, I suppose.” He says to the mirror, smiling sadly. Despite his father’s charred attitude it is nice when Gavin has someone who will talk back (even if the replies are less than friendly). The night wind blows in through his open window and the mirror seems to shake in reply. With a shiver he goes to close the window, might as well go to sleep anyway, but he stops when he sees a star falling from the sky. When Gavin was younger his mother told him that when a star fell from the sky it would grant a wish to the first person who saw it. Despite his lack of belief in childish stories like that it does him no harm to make a wish, so he does, he wishes for someone to talk to; a friend. After that he feels completely foolish and decides it’s time to go to sleep. 

The next morning he wakes early enough to catch the sunrise. He leaves his room to get himself something light for breakfast, an apple, and then returns to check himself in the mirror. When he sees his reflection he almost chokes, he looks nothing like himself. His normally messy brown hair is resting in ginger curls on his head, and his green eyes are reflecting an almost brown color. More disturbing than any changes to his appearance, though, is that the reflection in the mirror is standing in a different position than he is. He jumps back at the realization and lands on the ground, the reflection doesn’t so much as flinch, but it does roll its eyes. 

“Dumb ass.” The reflection says, then its eyes widen when Gavin flinches again. “Oh my god.”

Gavin crawls backwards, away from the mirror, and watches in horror. The reflection stares back at him. 

“Can you hear me?”

Gavin swallows, then nods, the reflection seems just as confused as he is (though not nearly frightened enough).

“Holy shit.” The reflection smiles. “Fucking finally. I’ve been listening to your dumb ass rambling for-fucking-ever. Now I can tell you to shut the fuck up.” It says, but its voice holds no malice. 

Gavin blinks. “I-“ He starts, then closes his eyes. “The mirror is talking to me.” He whispers to himself. “I’ve lost my mind. Oh god.”

“You have not, dumbass.” The reflection argues. “I’ve been here the whole time, talking to you, but you’ve never been able to hear me before.”

“I’m inclined to believe you’re lying to me.” Gavin argues. “Mirrors don’t talk.”

“Okay then.” The reflection shrugs. “You’re bat-shit crazy then. Not that it changes much, cause if I can’t talk then you’ve just been talking to yourself since you got here.”

“Oh, bloody hell.” Gavin drops his head into his hands. “I’ve gone daffy.”

He hears a sigh and opens his eyes to see the reflection crouching down to look at him.

“Look man, even if you have gone ‘daffy’” it raises an eyebrow when he says the word. “It seems like you’ve wanted someone to talk to for a while, yea? So what’s the problem? I’m here now.”

Gavin blinks and bites the inside of his lip. The reflection isn’t wrong. If he’s crazy is it really a bad thing, as long as he isn’t crazy alone? He sighs, he can’t very well make himself un-crazy, might as well roll with it. The reflection smiles. 

“You can call me Michael.” The reflection holds out his hand. Gavin stands and moves towards him, reaching to shake it, but his hand bumps against the glass of the mirror. Michael bursts into laughter. 

“DAMN IT, DUMBASS WHAT’S WRONG WITH YOU?” He says, laughing. “YOU CAN’T SHAKE HANDS WITH A REFLECTION!”


	6. discount

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> word- discount

Gavin free hated his job with a fire filled passion. Every day he went through the same motions with the same people. Scan, cash, return, paper or plastic? He hated the normality of it, he hated that by coming to work every day he was excepting that his life was never going to change. He started work at the local grocer when he moved to austin at age twenty two, thinking it would last a couple of months at most, what he really wanted to do was get a job working in film production. He had never expected to still be bagging eggs on the eve of his thirtieth birthday, yet there he was. 

The store was fairly empty, thank god, so he decided to spend his time pretending to clean. As he pushed the dry mop back and forth on the filthy tiled floor he imagined somewhere far away, somewhere he would probably never be, somewhere better than pretending to mop. In the background of his thoughts Gavin barely noticed the jingling of the door's bell. His head turned to look, expecting a customer, but the man who stood at the door didn't look like he wanted to buy anything. 

The man held a gun in his left hand and smiled. Gavin recognized him almost instantly as Michael Jones, the explosions expert of Los Santos' most feared gang. The fake AH crew. He wanted to be afraid, realized that he should, but couldn't help but be excited at how different it was from his normal work night. Michael stepped towards him and lifted the gun. 

"I'm gonna need you to give me all the money in the fucking register." He demanded, not dropping the gun or his smile.

Gavin nodded without hesitation ans started walking to his designated register. While he opened it Michael walked closer to him. 

"Nothing personal." The explosions expert shrugged his leather clad shoulders. "Wanted to do something small tonight, and this place looked pretty easy." 

Gavin nodded, pulling the money from the register and setting it on the desk.

"Put it in a bag." Michael ordered, and Gavin smiled. He knew better than to joke with criminals, especially when they had a gun pointed at him, but he'd never get an opertunity like this again. 

"Paper, or plastic, sir?" He asked, and there was a brief moment of silence where he was sure he was about to be shot. Then there was laughter. The gang member was laughing. Gavin joined him. They laughed together for a while, then they just stood in silence. 

"You know what?" Michael sighed. "Since you made me laugh, and that's not the easiest thing to do when you're being robbed, I won't rob you." He said, and Gavin smiled at him. 

With that the man walked out, and Gavin was almost sad, he figured he'd never see the exciting man again. But the next week he was back. It became a normal thing for the two to hang out, their friendship grew, they became close. It went from a weekly thing to a near daily thing. Michael would swoop into the store, stop briefly to talk to Gavin, and leave as soon as he came. Gavin knew Michael always snuck something into his pocket, a pack of gum or something small, but he didn't mind the man taking his five finger discount. Especially a few months later when he used said discount to wipe his heart and a wedding ring.


	7. Moon

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's so short. I have done myself a sad.

Michael pushed the curtain out of his way so he could see outside. A clear sky for once, no clouds or loud as fuck airplanes, Gavin would've loved this. He sighed at the memory of his lover. Gavin always loved the way the moon looked in the sky, a ball of brightness in the dark. The British man use to spend hours just staring at the night sky, making wishes he could never keep secret, and Michael would always make fun of him for acting so childish. Secretly, though, Michael found Gavin's wonder-filled star gazing endearing. It only added to the allure that was Gavin free. 

After Gavin died Michael found himself picking up the man's old habit, even going so far as drinking tea as he did because it tasted like his mouth once did, and his wish was always the same. Thought he was much better at keeping wishes secret than Gavin had been. 

He knew that somewhere up in the sky Gavin's spirit was watching him, jokingly teasing him for doing something so childish as wishing on the moon.


End file.
